Countdown to Halloween 2013 - Haunted House

Today's theme for the Countdown to Halloween was haunted houses.

Sophia's edible haunted house.

The first thing we did was make breakfast using this pin from Midwest Living for inspiration.

We used brown-sugar flavored toaster pops to create the shape of each of our houses.

Each house took one full toaster pop for the house and 

part of another one for the roof.

We also used:

=> fudge-stick cookies for the chimney and door step,

Sophia placing the toaster pop on top of the 

fudge-stick cookies.

=> pretzel sticks to outline the windows or doors,

My finished house with pretzel pieces outlining a window.

The inside of the window is yellow frosting.

=> graham crackers for the door,

Olivia's finished haunted house with a

graham-cracker door.

=> frosting for the squiggles (we used toothpicks to apply the frosting),

Olivia using a toothpick to apply frosting swirls.

=> yellow and purple frosting for the windows and to attach the roof decorations to the house,

Olivia gluing the parts of her edible haunted house 

together using frosting.

=> petite Halloween candies for added interest. The original image had a ghost and bat. However, I could only find decorator pumpkin candies.

Sophia gluing one of the candy pumpkins onto

her edible haunted house.

We all enjoyed decorating the haunted houses and then eating them.

Sophia decorating the door step of her haunted house.

However, we all agreed that it was probably the least healthiest breakfast we have eaten in a long time. Perhaps tomorrow's activities will lend themselves to healthier eating.

Olivia's watercolor and cut-paper project.

Later in the day, Sophia and Olivia took a look at a pin that of a silhouette of a haunted house on a watercolor painting. It links to That Artist Woman, but the instructions and image aren't there.

At any rate, the girls did some watercolor painting to create the background image. We used a different type of paper that is suitable for watercolors, but not the higher-quality watercolor paper that we normally use.

Sophia painting the background for her scene.

The each wanted to make stars with white crayons and then paint - so the stars would show up in the night sky.

Olivia painting different colors for her scene.

It seemed like almost every pet visited us while Sophia and Olivia were painting.

The girls painting while Eenie walks around the room

 Both the dogs wanted to be in the room.

Cooper and Shadow by Sophia as she paints.

And then Shadow was curious and wanted to be right in the middle of the action. First, he sat behind Olivia and watched her paint.

Olivia peeking out behind Oliva's shoulder

to watch what she is painting.

Then he made himself very comfortable by sitting right on the table and watching the girls paint.

Shadow relaxing on the table while the girls paint.

After they finished their painting, they drew some shapes onto black construction paper - a haunted house, a tree, and a cat.

Sophia drawing her haunted house.

Then they cut out them out.

Olivia cutting out her haunted house.

Montague is resting in the background.

They glued these shapes onto the dried watercolor paintings.The silhouetted images stand out against their watercolor paintings.

Sophia's finished watercolor and paper-cut project.

Later in the afternoon, Sophia and Olivia dressed up in costumes and we went to Camp Ojiketa Regional Park where there was a Falloween event (yes, they spelled it with an  "F" and not an "H.").

Sophia dressed as a witch and 

Olivia as Cleopatra before heading out to

Camp Ojiketa Regional Park.

The event was free in exchange for a donation of a non-perishable item to the food shelf. We brought three items - one for each of us.

Sophia and Olivia near a photo-op setting.

We had not been to Camp Ojiketa before, so it was such a pleasant surprise to see this beautiful park relatively close to where we live.

Sophia and Olivia in the woods and leaf-covered path.

It was a rather chilly day...but very pretty 

with all the fall colors.

Camp Ojiketa was started in 1926 by Campfire Council of Minnesota. It was a girls, and eventually, boys and girls summer camp for many Twin Cities residents. The camp had not been in service for a number of years, so a few years ago the Campfire Council decided to put it up for sale.

A real estate investor wanted to buy it so it could be a retreat and conference center. Instead, past camp staff and alumni put together a group called the Camp Ojiketa Preservation Society.

Two of the cabins at Camp Ojiketa.

The Camp Ojiketa Preservation Society and the Chisago City worked together to preserve the historical camp, buildings, grounds and wild lands. The Trust for Public Land joined them to purchase the property so it could become a regional park.

This was the large gathering hall. 

It was so pretty with all the twinkle lights hanging from the beams.

The girls were having their hair and nails done.

Some of the cabins have been refurbished and are for rent. It may be a fun place to go camping some time next year.

So, the Falloween event had free pumpkins for all of the children and a wide variety of activities. Although it was geared to a younger age group, it was still a fun experience.

This is a touch station. 

Children could touch "witches' fingers" (pickles), eyeballs (huge olives), 

brains (cooked mixed vegetables), guts (cooked spaghetti noodles), and 

Dracula teeth (candy corn).

We enjoyed cookies, lemonade, and make-your-own trail mix.

Sophia and Olivia at the make-your-own trail mix.

These items were also labeled with funny titles.

The girls had their fingernails painted in black and green.

Olivia having her nails done.

Sophia had her hair spray-painted in two different colors.

Sophia having her hair colored.

It's a bit difficult to see in the picture since Sophia has black hair, but there's blue and pink sprayed onto her hair.

Sophia with colored hair.

We visited the child-friendly haunted house. One of the cabins was transformed into a haunted house. There were no lights on, so Olivia was nervous going in.

The cabin that was transformed into a haunted house.

As we walked through the haunted house, each room was decorated.

One of the rooms in the child-friendly haunted house.

No people jumped out and tried to scare us...it was definitely a child-friendly experience.

The highlight for us was a horse-drawn carriage ride. 

The girls in the carriage.

The interior of the carriage had two red-velvet seats. The exterior was decorated in fall foliage.

Sophia and Olivia on velvet seats. 

I think this was their favorite part of the event.

The event and carriage ride certainly were a nice way to end our haunted-house theme day.

Countdown to Halloween 2013 - Skeleton Theme

The Countdown to Halloween 2013 has begun! Last year, we did a 13-day Countdown to Halloween with each day having a different theme with activities - food, art, science, and more. Sophia and Olivia wanted to do the countdown again, so we began today with the theme of skeletons.

Name Skeleton

Olivia's name skeleton.

 New this year is a project that combines art, penmanship, and math (symmetry): "Name Skeletons." The idea came from this pin that led to Garden of Praise.

To make a name skeleton, the girls folded a piece of white copy paper in half width-wise.

Sophia writing her name 

along the folded part of the paper.

They wrote their names in cursive along the folded part; and then cut it out to form the body of the skeleton.

Olivia writing her name on white paper.

When writing the name, Olivia's was easy because there were no letters that would fall "below the line." Sophia's name has a "p" which made it slightly more challenging since the lower part of the "p" couldn't go down as far as it normally would.

The next step was to make the letters wider by making another line parallel to all the hand-written letters. Then, it was time to cut out then names.

Sophia cutting out her name.

It's important to keep some the base part of the letters on the fold and not cut. Otherwise there will be two separate names, rather than one connected one.

Olivia cutting out her name.

The girls both found cutting out the inner parts of some letters (e.g., o, a, p, h) a bit difficult since the space wasn't that large.

Olivia's name partially cut out.

She needed help with the inner parts of the letters.

Once the names are cut out, open them so the shape is revealed.

Sophia's name opened up.

Next, the girls drew heads, arms, and legs. They took all the components to the name skeleton and glued it onto a piece of orange paper with a glue stick.

Sophia's name skeleton.

In addition to the name skeletons, we made two different food items for dinner: a veggie skeleton and bone-shaped breadsticks that we dipped in pizza sauce.

Veggie Skeleton

Sophia and Olivia with 

their finished Veggie Skeleton.

Last year, I saw a pin for a veggie skeleton that was linked to Feeding Four Little Monkeys. Sophia and Olivia did in 2012 and wanted to make another skeleton this year.

The girls washed and cut broccoli, celery, red peppers, cauliflower, olives, and lettuce for the skeleton's body.

Sophia cutting celery for the skeleton's arms.

Olivia put the French onion dip into a clear serving bowl, added some Romaine lettuce for the "hair," two olive slices for the eyes, and a red pepper piece for the mouth.

Olivia worked on the skeleton's face while

Sophia worked on the body.

This year's skeleton is a bit smaller than last year, but it fit on the tray which worked out well. There were some leftover cut-up vegetables, so as we ate parts of the skeleton's body, they would replace the pieces taken.

The completed veggie skeleton.

It's interesting to see how fresh vegetables are more readily consumed when presented in an unusual way. Such a simple thing to do, but makes all the difference to a child's perception of what she wants to eat.

Bones n’ Blood

We also made bone-shaped breadsticks that we dipped in pizza sauce. Using this pin which led to Our Best Bites, for inspiration, I tried to find pre-made breadstick dough in the refrigerated section in a few local stores. Apparently this year, they aren't being carried any more.

So, we ended up making homemade bread dough from a 4-H cookbook that my Mom gave me back in the late 1980s. The recipe is easy and doesn't require a lot of time for the dough to rise (whereas some other recipes took up to an hour for rising time).

Breadsticks

1 package dry yeast (or 2 1/2 tsp. yeast)
2 cups warm water, divided
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
6 c. flour
1 c. melted butter (we used 3/4 c.)
Onion and garlic salt to taste (we used Watkins seasonings instead - Pizza & Italian Seasoning; and Onion and Garlic Pepper)

Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Combine 1 3/4 cup water, sugar, and salt in mixing bowl. Stir in 2 cups flour. Add yeast; mix well. Add 1/2 cup butter and remaining 4 cups flour; mix well. Let rise for 15-20 minutes. 

(Note: this paragraph is for making traditional breadsticks...not the bone-shaped breadsticks.) Divide into walnut-shaped balls. Shape each into a 14-16 inch rope. Roll in remaining 1/2 cup butter. 

(Note: The rest of the recipe is for both type of breadsticks.) Place on baking sheet. (Note: the recipe didn't say to grease the sheet, but we did one without and one with spray-oil, and the breadsticks that were on the sheet that had been sprayed came off much easier and din't stick at all.) 

Sprinkle with onion and garlic salts. Let rise until double in bulk. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until crisp. Yield: 64 serving.

Sophia and Olivia worked together on making the dough.

Olivia mixing the flour 

with the liquid ingredients.

After kneading the dough, they set it aside to rise.

Sophia kneading the dough.

While they were letting it rise, they made the veggie skeleton. By the time they were done assembling it, it was time to create the breadstick bones. Sophia took chunks of dough and shaped them into strips.

Sophia shaping the dough into strips.

She cut the ends and rolled them a bit to create the look of a bone.

Creating the rounded ends on the breadsticks

so they look like bones.

Olivia brushed melted butter on top of each one, and then put one of two seasonings on each one.

The girls working together to make 

bone-shaped breadsticks.

For half of the breadsticks, she put Watkins Pizza and Italian seasoning; and on the other Watkins onion and garlic pepper.

Olivia brushing the breadstick with butter.

The original recipe suggested sprinkling Parmesan cheese on the breadsticks. We didn't do this, however. They were ready to be put into the oven and baked. Although the recipe called for 35 minutes, the undersides of the breadsticks were browned at 25 minutes. Any longer, and they would have been quite crunchy (which we don't like).

Finished "bones" that the girls created.

We baked the breadsticks while heating the pizza sauce.

One breadstick "bone" with pizza sauce "blood."

We all enjoyed the "Bones n' Blood" and "Veggie Skeleton" we had for dinner along with a grilled cheese sandwich!

The girls with their skeleton-theme dinner.

Inspired by We Day Speakers & Volunteering

On October 8th, Sophia and I attended We Day in St. Paul, Minnesota. The only way that people were able to attend the event was by earning tickets...not by buying them.

The Kenyan Boys Choir at We Day.

They sang at President Obama's inauguration.

How did we earn the tickets? By doing a variety of service projects throughout the past year on a local and global level. As a family, we did a self-designed 12 in 12 project where we did 12 different service projects each month for 12 months in 2012.

Donating toys and household items at a secondhand store.

(May 2012.)

Also, throughout 2012 we collected books and monetary donations to ship over 1,000 books to a primary school in Lesotho where the first-ever library will be created for over 250 children annually. This will dramatically change these children's lives...moving them from poverty to a broader world and opportunities through education.

Olivia and Sophia with 20 boxes of books that

were shipped to Lesotho, Africa,

to establish a library at a primary school.

(December 2012)

So, what is We Day? The best description for the day is from We Day's website. It says, "We Day is an educational event and the movement of our time—a movement of young people leading local and global change. We Day is tied to the yearlong We Act program, which offers curricular resources, campaigns, and materials to help turn the day’s inspiration into sustained activation."

At the Xcel Energy Center, there were over 18,000 students and educators who were treated to a day-long event filled with inspiring speakers and performers.

Sophia with her bag of goodies 

that each attendee received.

We also learned about different organizations that make up We Day: Free The Children and Me to We, that have a shared goal to empower a generation to shift the world from ‘me’ to ‘we’—through how we act, how we give, the choices we make on what to buy and what to wear, the media we consume, and the experiences with which we choose to engage.

Through Free the Children, we were most interested in We Scare Hunger which aims to collect food for local food shelves on Halloween.

Donating food to food shelves is something that we did monthly in 2012, so it is a continuation of our efforts to help alleviate hunger in our community. What we learned - on a larger scale - is that in the United States:

=> 46.2 million Americans live in poverty.
=> 14.9% of households do not always have enough money to buy food.
=> Free or price-reduced lunches are provided to approximately 31.8 million children every school day.

On a global scale, we are particularly interested in the volunteer trip to Kenya through Me to We that gives youth and adults opportunities to build a school in a Maasai village.

Back to We Day...

One of the speakers we were privileged to listen to was Martin Luther King III. What an inspirational man! It was like listening to Martin Luther King, Jr. (his father) speak - with the same passion and excitement.

Martin Luther King III speaking at 

We Day in Minnesota on October 8, 2013.

Some of the things that I particularly liked that he said were:

=> It isn't by size that you win or fail. You just have to be the best of what you are. That's what our challenge is - being our best!

=> I am going to be a part of people who make a difference in my community, in my city, in my state, in my nation, and even in our world."

=> Every generation has its calling...You must decide what you want to do...to make a difference in the world.

Mia Farrow also spoke about volunteering and the impact it has had on her life as well as others.

Mia Farrow speaking to 18,000+ teens and educators.

Some of the things that stuck out for me that she said were:

=>Don't search for happiness, you won't find it that way. Search for someone to help and happiness will find you!

=> I realized I could make a difference outside of my family if I pushed hard enough; if I tried hard enough."

Marilyn Carlson Nelson, a successful business woman in Minnesota, introduced Queen Noor. Before doing that, however, she shared her family's and company's credo which she encouraged each person to remember as they go through life:

"Whatever you do, do with Integrity. 

Wherever you go, go as a Leader. 

Whomever you serve, serve with Caring.

Whenever you dream, dream with your All.

And never, ever give up."

Queen Noor of Jordan then came out; and she gave an insightful and thought-provoking talk about the the impact that war is having on children in Syria. She also spoke about the importance of education and peace.

Queen Noor of Jordan at

We Day Minnesota.

One of the things that stood out about her presentation was the statement:

=> "Peace exists in the hearts, minds, and actions of those who practice compassion, tolerance, and forgiveness."

The stories of Malala Yousafza and Iqbal Masih were shared. The former was heralded a hero because of her role in bringing awareness of the importance of education, especially to girls in third-world countries. As one of the We Day speakers, Hannah Alper, said, "Around the world there are millions of girls who are denied an education...but Malala [Yousafza] spoke up!"

Another speaker shared the story of Iqbal who was a child sold into child labor (essentially slavery) by his parents and who managed to escape. He said, "Children should have pens in their hands, not tools."

"Each and every one of you here today 

has a story with the power to change the world." 

~~ Spencer West, spoke at We Day Minnesota ~~ 

(A man who climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro on his hands 

because he has no legs.)

We learned about youth who had been bullied because of physical disabilities and how they overcame that. One of the most memorable parts of We Day was Molly Burke's presentation. (She was a victim of bullying because she gradually lost her vision from age 4 to 14 when she no longer could see. Now, she speaks publically against bullying in the U.S. and Canada.)

She came onto the stage unassisted, so no one knew she had any challenges with her vision. She shared her story of being bullied, and then the lights were dim and she asked for silence for seven seconds.

Then, slowly, she said that there was something that she hadn't shared with us yet: "This darkness is my reality...I. Am. Blind."

She continued to say that, "I found my voice when I stood up against bullying." As the crowd cheered and clapped for her, she called for her guide dog who came up onto the stage and helped lead her safely down the steps and off the stage.

"Serve. Learn. Change the world."

 ~~ Julia Sewell ~~

One of the speakers (Marissa), who was raised by a single mother with four children and who held two jobs while going to college to give her family a better life, was from a very rough neighborhood. She received support through a community organization – homework help, listening, clothes, food, etc.

Marissa said, "Whatever projects are happening in your community, I urge you to get involved. You might end up changing someone's life." She continued, "You don't have to be rich & you don't have to be well-connected. You just have to give your time to someone who needs it."

Between these speakers and others as well as the many performers, it was perhaps one of the most inspiring events I have ever attended. It left both Sophia and I eager to continue to and expand upon our volunteering; and introduced us to opportunities that we had not heard about yet.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this upcoming year unfolds in terms of our service to our local, state, national, and global communities.

"Never stop believing in yourself." 

~~ Marilyn Carlson Nelson ~~

Walter de la Mare - Poet/Poetry Study

Walter John de la Mare (April 25, 1873 – June 22, 1956) was a novelist, English poet, and short story writer. He is best remembered for his poem "The Listeners" and his works for children.

Photo Source

De la Mare was born in Charlton, Kent, in the south of England, of wealthy parents. His father, James Edward Delamaere, was an official at the Bank of England. His mother, Lucy Sophia (Browning) Delamare, was related to the poet Robert Browning.

He was educated in London at St. Paul's Cathedral Choir School, which he left at age 16. In 1895, de la Mare's career as a writer started; and he publish works until the end of his life.

In 1908, de la Mare was awarded an annual government pension of £100, and he devoted himself to writing. He retired to Taplow in Buckinghamshire, where he lived with his wife, Constance Elfrida Ingpen, and four children. He died at Twickenham, near London, on June 22, 1958. De la Mare is buried in St Paul's Cathedral.

Below are the six poems that I read to Sophia and Olivia along with their reactions to the poems.

The Horseman

I heard a horseman
Ride over the hill;
The moon shone clear,
The night was still;
His helm was silver,
And pale was he;
And the horse he rode
Was of ivory.

Sophia thought: I liked that it wasn't very long. Sometimes when poems are long, they kind of drag on. I like the horse and that the horseman's face was pale.

Olivia thought: I liked it. I liked that the horse he was riding was white. That part stood out for me the most.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Some One

Some one came knocking
At my wee, small door;
Some one came knocking,
I'm sure -- sure -- sure;
I listened, I opened,
I looked to left and right,
But naught there was a-stirring
In the still dark night;
Only the busy beetle
Tap-tapping in the wall,
Only from the forest
The screech-owl's call,
Only the cricket whistling
While the dewdrops fall,
So I know not who came knocking,
At all, at all, at all.

Sophia thought: I find it kind of strange that he said "wee" because most Englishmen who write poems don't say "wee." I liked the couple of times when he repeated his words. It's kind of like a mystery...he never finds out who was knocking at his door.

Olivia thought: I think it's nice. I especially liked the part about the dewdrops. I also liked the part when he used the word "wee." I liked the parts with the beetle and screech owl.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The Little Bird

My dear Daddie bought a mansion
For to bring my Mammie to,
In a hat with a long feather,
And a trailing gown of blue;
And a company of fiddlers
And a rout of maids and men
Danced the clock round to the morning,
In a gay house-warming then.
And when all the guests were gone, and
All was still as still can be,
In from the dark ivy hopped a
Wee small bird: and that was Me.

Sophia thought: I kind of liked it and kind of didn't. I didn't like the part about the Mammie. I only hear that word when I've read books about the south and they use the word, "Mammie." I liked the last part - the last couple of words - and the part of the gown of blue. I just imagine that it is silk. When I pictured the house, I was thinking about the White House.

Olivia thought: I liked the title and the ending part when he said, "...and that was Me." When I was thinking the mansion I was thinking about one of the houses in this book I'm looking at (about the homes that Frank Lloyd Wright designed).

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hide and Seek

Hide and seek, says the Wind,
In the shade of the woods;
Hide and seek, says the Moon,
To the hazel buds;
Hide and seek, says the Cloud,
Star on to star;
Hide and seek, says the Wave,
At the harbour bar;
Hide and seek, say I,
To myself, and step
Out of the dream of Wake
Into the dream of Sleep.

Sophia thought: It reminds me a poem that you use to read when I was little, and it's about how the moon sees everything. (I see the moon and the moon sees me. God bless the moon and God bless me.) It kind of reminds me of the same quietness and the dream-like quality in this poem. It was a bit repetitive. It was okay, but I prefer things that aren't so repetitive.

Olivia thought: They repeated "Hide and seek" quite a lot. I like the part about the moon. I also liked the ending because it was nice.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The Window

Behind the blinds I sit and watch
The people passing - passing by;
And not a single one can see
My tiny watching eye.

They cannot see my little room,
All yellowed with the shaded sun;
They do not even know I'm here;
Nor'll guess when I am gone.

Sophia thought: The beginning reminded me of the Dr. Seuss book Cat in the Hat when the two kids are sitting in their chairs watching the rain fall and people go by outside. The part about the room reminds me Mary's old room at Nana's home, and when the sun comes in through the shades and it is kind of yellowish. It's not a real  cheerful poem...it's quiet...maybe even a bit dismal.

Olivia thought: That one was slightly strange. It was kind of weird about the window and watching people. I think the person watching in the poem is a young boy who is staring at other people.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The Listeners

‘Is there anybody there?’ said the Traveller,
Knocking on the moonlit door;
And his horse in the silence champed the grasses
Of the forest’s ferny floor:
And a bird flew up out of the turret,
Above the Traveller’s head:
And he smote upon the door again a second time;
‘Is there anybody there?’ he said.
But no one descended to the Traveller;
No head from the leaf-fringed sill
Leaned over and looked into his grey eyes,
Where he stood perplexed and still.
But only a host of phantom listeners
That dwelt in the lone house then
Stood listening in the quiet of the moonlight
To that voice from the world of men:
Stood thronging the faint moonbeams on the dark stair,
That goes down to the empty hall,
Hearkening in an air stirred and shaken
By the lonely Traveller’s call.
And he felt in his heart their strangeness,
Their stillness answering his cry,
While his horse moved, cropping the dark turf,
’Neath the starred and leafy sky;
For he suddenly smote on the door, even
Louder, and lifted his head:—
‘Tell them I came, and no one answered,
That I kept my word,’ he said.
Never the least stir made the listeners,
Though every word he spake
Fell echoing through the shadowiness of the still house
From the one man left awake:
Ay, they heard his foot upon the stirrup,
And the sound of iron on stone,
And how the silence surged softly backward,
When the plunging hoofs were gone.

Sophia thought: No one speaks like that. I mean, who uses the words "champed" or "spake?" It's a story - kind of - if you take out all the odd words. Except the part that mentions that he kept his promise...then it sounds like it's in the middle of a book or the introduction - like a spooky beginning.

Olivia thought: It sounded more like a story than a poem. It was so long...it sounded so much like a story. I liked the poem, though. It was kind of sad that no one answered him. There were strange ghostly people in the house. I wouldn't want to go there because it sounds kind of scary.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*